Pallet conveyor apparatus

ABSTRACT

A pallet conveyor apparatus for moving pallets, which carry components of a dynamo-electric machine, along and between routes of a manufacturing line is provided. The pallet conveyor apparatus includes a plurality of pallets, at least one substantially horizontal rail structure, at least one loop-shaped conveyor belt, and a drive for causing the conveyor belt to move along an upper track of the rail structure. The conveyor apparatus may be driven with a drive cartridge that fits within the rail structure. A pallet for use with the apparatus has a platform and a seat portion. The platform has an upper surface that supports the component. The seat portion has a substantially inverted “U” shape. The seat portion of the rail structure has a central surface and two opposing surfaces. The dimensions of the seat portion and the rail structure are such that when the seat portion fits over the rail structure a pallet will be prevented from falling off the rail structure.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser.No. 09/409,038, filed Sep. 29, 1999, which claims benefit of U.S.provisional patent application No. 60/103,043, filed Oct. 5, 1998. Bothof these prior applications are hereby incorporated by reference hereinin their entireties.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to improved solutions for conveyingelectric machine components (e.g., armatures or stators for electricmotors, generators, or alternators) between different processingstations and between machines of the same processing station of amanufacturing line.

[0003] Manufacturing lines that use pallet conveyor apparatus are known.For example, the disposition of processing stations along such lines,the sequence with which the pallets reach the stations, and thetransport routes by which the pallets reach the stations have beendescribed in Santandrea et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,984,353, which is herebyincorporated by reference herein.

[0004] A component of a dynamo-electric machine (e.g., the armature orstator being made) is often carried along the manufacturing line by aconveyor apparatus while mounted on a pallet, which may carry one ormore such components. The pallet can be encoded in a known way withinformation regarding the condition of the component or components it iscarrying. The encoded information can include an identification of theprocessing steps to be performed, the status of each step, whether thecomponent should be rejected, etc. The information can be encodedmagnetically, electronically, mechanically, or electromechanically, anda suitable reading device is provided adjacent each processing stationto read the information. When a manufacturing line or processing stationincludes a plurality of routes, pallets are usually transferred betweenthe routes as necessary. Pallet transfer should be simple and reliable,but should not interfere with the information encoded on the pallet.Moreover, a pallet should be able to convey different size componentsalong the manufacturing line.

[0005] Some manufacturing lines include processing stations with two ormore machines that perform the same function (e.g., winding). Two ormore machines may be needed at a single processing station to avoid a“bottleneck” when the processing time of a machine is longer than theprocessing time required by other machines or stations of the samemanufacturing line. Transfer between machines of a single station,however, manufacture and maintain. Moreover, conventional transferapparatus can consume substantial floor space, making it difficult foran operator to gain access to components and machines of a processingstation.

[0006] It is therefore desirable to provide a mechanically reliableconveyor apparatus that provides an operator easy access to componentsand machines of a processing station.

[0007] In view of the foregoing, it is an object of this invention toprovide a solution for the problems associated with conveying andtransferring dynamo-electric machine components in a manufacturing line.

[0008] It is another object of this invention to provide a reliablepallet conveyor apparatus that accommodates a large number of pallets,each of which can accept multiple size components.

[0009] It is yet another object of this invention to provide a palletconveyor apparatus that provides an operator easy access to componentsand machines of a processing station along a manufacturing line.

[0010] It is still another object of this invention to provide a palletconveyor apparatus that can transfer pallets between differentmanufacturing lines, including compact, vertically stacked manufacturinglines, without complicated transfer apparatus.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0011] These and other objects of the invention are accomplished inaccordance with the principles of the invention by providing a palletconveyor apparatus that includes a plurality of pallets, at least onesubstantially horizontal rail structure, at least one loop-shapedconveyor belt, and a drive for causing the conveyor belt to move on anupper track of the rail structure along the rail structure's length.

[0012] Each of the pallets includes a platform having an upper surfaceadapted to at least partially support a component, and a seat portionhaving a substantially inverted “U” shape. The seat portion of the railstructure has a central surface and two opposing surfaces. The opposingsurfaces have a first height and are separated by a first distance.

[0013] The rail structure has a length, an upper track, and two sidesurfaces. The side surfaces have a second height and are separated by asecond distance. The first distance is larger than the second distanceso that the rail structure can fit between a pallet's opposing surfaces.Also, the first and second heights are sufficient to prevent palletsfrom falling off the rail structure.

[0014] The conveyor belt has an inner belt surface and an outer beltsurface. The inner belt surface is at least partially disposed on theupper track of the rail structure and the outer belt surface at leastpartially engages a central surface of a pallet. The drive, which may bean electric motor, for example, causes the conveyor belt to move alongthe upper track of the rail structure, thereby causing pallets restingon the conveyor belt to be moved.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Further features of the invention, its nature, and variousadvantages will be more apparent from the following detailed descriptionof the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein likereference characters represent like elements throughout, and in which:

[0016]FIG. 1 is an elevational sectional view of an illustrative palletconstructed in accordance with the principles of this invention. Thepallet is mounted on a rail structure and is supporting an armature.FIG. 1 is taken along the line 1-1 in FIG. 2.

[0017]FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of a portion of a manufacturingline, constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention.

[0018]FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the same portion of themanufacturing line shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is taken along line 3-3 ofFIG. 2.

[0019]FIG. 4 is an elevational sectional view of another illustrativepallet constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention.The pallet is mounted on a rail structure and is supporting a stator.

[0020]FIG. 5 is a plan view of an illustrative pallet conveyor apparatusin accordance with the principles of this invention.

[0021]FIG. 6 is a plan view of another illustrative pallet conveyorapparatus in accordance with the principles of this invention.

[0022]FIG. 7 is a side elevational view, partly in cross-section, of twoabutted illustrative rail sections, such as the ones shown in FIGS. 1-4,in accordance with the principles of this invention.

[0023]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the illustrative drive cartridgeshown in FIG. 7, along with an electric motor and gear box, which can bepositioned in a rail section for driving a conveyor belt as shown inFIG. 7, in accordance with the principles of this invention.

[0024]FIG. 9 is an elevational view, in cross-section, of theillustrative drive cartridge shown in FIG. 8, taken from line 9-9 ofFIG. 8, along with the electric motor and gear box, in accordance withthe principles of this invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] The present disclosure concerns improved solutions fortransporting armature or stator assemblies by means of pallets, betweenprocessing stations of manufacturing lines.

[0026]FIG. 1 shows pallet 10 supporting various portions of armature 11(i.e., lamination stack 11 a, and shafts 11 b and 11 c) on supportingsurfaces 12′ of seat portion 12. Supporting surfaces 12′ extendsufficiently in direction X to be able to support different armatures.

[0027] The underside of pallet 10 is adapted to receive at least part ofa rail structure (see below). In FIGS. 1 and 4, for example, theundersides of pallets 10 and 40 are adapted to receive a single railstructure on which a single belt moves. Alternatively, the underside ofthe pallets can be shaped to receive and engage two or more rails, onwhich conveyor belts synchronously convey the pallet (not shown).Regardless of the number of rails used, a pallet according to thisinvention will have an underside shaped to accommodate the one or morerails to ensure accurate translation along the rail without significantlateral motion.

[0028] In particular, the underside of pallet 10 is provided with seat13 having an inverted “U” shape, which is formed by portions 13′, 13″,and 13′″. Central portion 13′ rests on conveyor belt 14, while portions13″ and 13′″ act as surfaces that abut respectively against sides 15″and 15′″ of rail structure 15. Upper face 15′ of rail structure 15 has atrack that supports conveyor belt 14. Narrow gaps are normally presentbetween sides 13″ and 15″, and sides 13′″ and 15′″. If pallet 10 tendsto topple off structure 15 (by rotation in directions 18 or 18′) due tothe overhead mass placement of armature 11, portions 13″ and 13′″ willmove to close the gaps by engaging respectively sides 15″ and 15′″,thereby sustaining the pallet.

[0029]FIG. 2 shows a processing station of a manufacturing line withmore than one machine of the same type (for example, two or morewinders). Such a station can perform identical manufacturing operationsat the same time on a plurality of components. The machines of such astation usually process components singularly. The station shown in FIG.2 may be needed when the machines of the station require processingtimes that are longer than other machines of other stations of the line.

[0030]FIG. 2 shows three different pallet routes 20, 21, and 22 in frontof machine M of a processing station.

[0031] Route 20 moves pallets in direction 20′ and includes railstructure 15 and conveyor belt 14 on which the pallets rest. The motionaligns the pallets at the machines where they need to be processed.Point P represents the position on route 20 where the armaturessupported by the pallets can be loaded and unloaded. Successive palletscan form a queue behind the pallet at point P. Other machines of thesame station (not shown) can also have similar pallet routes for loadingand unloading armatures that need processing.

[0032] Route 21 moves pallets in direction 21′. Like route 20, route 21includes rail structure 15 and conveyor belt 14 on which pallets rest.As indicated in FIG. 2, route 21 transports pallets into the stationfrom an upstream portion of the manufacturing line and transportspallets away from the station to a downstream portion of themanufacturing line after being processed. If desired, route 21 can passin front of all the machines of the station.

[0033] A pallet moving in direction 21′ along route 21 can deliver awork piece (e.g., an armature) to a machine, such as machine M of FIG.2. Machines of a processing station can be positioned in a sequencealong route 21. When a pallet is removed from route 21 at position 20″,for example, it can be placed in a queue in front of a machine that iscapable of receiving it. Preferably, the first machine of the sequencethat has room at the end of its respective queue will receive thepallet.

[0034] Once a pallet is placed on route 20, it moves in direction 20′until it reaches position P. At position P, the component is unloadedfrom the pallet, processed, and reloaded. After being reloaded, thepallet moves to position 20′″ at the end of route 20 where it can bereturned to route 21. Then, the loaded pallet can move in direction 21′to reach the downstream portion of the line.

[0035] Route 22 passes through the station and moves pallets indirection 22′. Route 22 performs two functions. First, route 22 returnsempty pallets from the downstream portion of the line to the beginningof the upstream portion of line. Second, route 22 returns pallets withunprocessed components to route 21.

[0036] The components that are returned to route 21 from route 22 may beunprocessed because all of the machines along the manufacturing linewere unavailable to receive the work pieces when they passed by themachines' loading points, such as point 20″. This can occur when thequeues formed in front of each machine are unable to accept additionalpallets. This can also occur when the machines are under repair or beingmaintained. In any case, such pallets are returned to route 21 so thatthey can again try to find a free place in a queue of an operatingmachine. Routes like these are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No.4,984,353 for a winding station.

[0037] As already explained somewhat above, conveyor belt 14 movespallet 11 of FIG. 1 along the length of rail structure 15. When there issufficient frictional contact between outer surface of conveyor belt 14and surface 13′ of seat portion 13, pallet 10 will be conveyedsynchronously with conveyor belt 14. Conveyor belt 14 can be loopedaround structure 15. Inner surface of conveyor belt 14 guides alongupper surface 15′ of structure 15 (e.g., in a track) and can returnalong the underside of structure 15. Conveyor belt 14 can be driven byany suitable drive, such as an electric motor, which can be located, forexample, in or adjacent to structure 15. For a more complete descriptionof the how an electric motor can be used to drive conveyor belt 14according to this invention, see FIGS. 7-9, which are described below.

[0038] Pallet 10 has ribs 16 that extend downward in order to reinforceportions 13′ and 13′″ of the “U” shaped seat portion. Pallet 10 may alsohave side walls 9 with apertures 19 that are opposite each other forproviding access to opposing jaws of a transfer gripping unit that maybe located at a position along a route, such as at position P of FIG. 2.Jaws of the transfer gripping unit can thus move through apertures 19 tograsp armature 11 to remove it from pallet 10, or to release armature 11when armature 11 is loaded onto pallet 10. Such transfer gripping unitsare described in Andorlini et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,912, which ishereby incorporated by reference herein.

[0039] While the pallets are moving along a route, they can be stoppedat any predetermined position by providing a mechanical stop with a stopsurface. For example, FIG. 2 shows mechanical stop S. The stop surfaceof mechanical stop S is positioned to engage the forward face F ofpallet 29, stopping pallet 29, while the conveyor belt continues tomove.

[0040] Pallets can queue up behind first pallet 29. Once this pallet isstopped, the next pallet in the queue will stop behind the first palletby engaging forward face F with rear face R of pallet 29. Preferably,the lower portions of the front and rear faces will abut. Additionalsuccessive pallets can also be stopped in the queue by engaging theirforward faces with the rear faces of adjacent pallets that have alreadybeen stopped. The conveyor belt continues to move as the additionalpallets engage each other.

[0041] Because the combination of seat 13 and rail structure 15 providesa high degree of pallet stability, the pallets, as viewed from line 2-2of FIG. 1, can be narrower than conventional pallets. This narrowconstruction makes it possible to form a queue with a large number ofpallets along the length of the rail structure in front of a machine.

[0042] The forward and rear faces of each pallet extend in an upwarddirection to provide a sufficient surface for engagement betweenadjacent pallets in a queue. The forward and rear faces prevent thepallets from climbing over each other during engagement while theconveyor belt moves below them.

[0043]FIG. 3 shows a side view of the manufacturing line shown in FIG.2. In particular, FIG. 3 shows how routes 20, 21, and 22 can be arrangedin vertical plane V in front of machine M. This arrangement is possiblebecause the rail structure of each route can be vertically connectedwith support brackets 23 to vertical frame 24. When routes 20, 21, and22 are arranged vertically, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, distance Xbetween operator O and machine M is much less than the comparabledistance when those routes are disposed horizontally, as shown, forexample, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,984,353. Thus, the operator observingmachine M has a clearer view of the operations occurring in machine M,and easier access to the armatures being processed on route 20 andtransported on routes 21 and 22.

[0044]FIG. 3 also shows one way that pallets can be transferred betweendifferent positions on the routes. Gripping unit 25 has gripping jaws25′ and 25″ located at position 20″ where pallets can be transferredfrom one route to another. Gripping jaws 25′ and 25″ can move towardeach other in vertical plane V and grip a pallet in position G. This isshown in FIG. 3 for a pallet located on route 21. While gripping thepallet, jaws 25′ and 25″ can be upwardly moved along guide bars 26 untilseat 13 is aligned with an end of rail structure 15.

[0045] After alignment, the jaws can move on guides 27 toward structure15 to insert seat 13 onto rail structure 15, as shown in FIG. 1. In thecase of FIGS. 1 and 3, this movement is into the page. In FIG. 2, themovement is in direction 20′. Once seat 13 is inserted onto railstructure 15, the jaws can move away from each other to release thepallet.

[0046] Thus, a method of transferring pallets between substantiallyhorizontal rail structures that are positioned in a substantiallyvertical plane is provided. In a first step, a pallet is conveyed alonga first rail structure. In a second step, the pallet is stopped at apoint on the first rail structure with a physical stop. In a third step,the pallet is engaged with transfer equipment (e.g., a gripping unit orlift). It will be appreciated that when a gripping unit is used, aportion of the pallet can stop between the jaws of the gripping unit inthe second step to prepare for engagement with the pallet in the thirdstep. Next, the pallet is transferred with the transfer equipment fromthe first rail structure to a second rail structure. Finally, the palletis released to allow for further processing.

[0047] Pallet 10, or any other pallet constructed in accordance withthis invention, can carry pin 27′ for encoding information. As shown inFIG. 1, pallet 10 is oriented so that pin 27′ is located on the rightside of rail structure 15 and can be read by pin reader 28 when pallet10 is at a particular point along the manufacturing line. Seat portion13 can be designed so that pallet 10 can be raised above structure 15,rotated by 180° around vertical axis A, and lowered back onto structure15. After pallet rotation (not shown), pin 27′ will be on the oppositeside of rail structure 15 (i.e., left side of FIG. 1) with respect toreader 28 so that reader 28 will no longer be able to read (e.g.,detect) the pin. If pin reader 28 can not read pin 27′, control unit 28′(i.e., a computer) can determine that pallet 10 has a predeterminedcondition of armature processing. Based on this condition, an action canbe subsequently taken. For example, when the condition of the armatureis determined to be unsatisfactory (e.g., after detecting, or notdetecting, pin 27′), an action can be determining that an armatureshould not undergo further processing.

[0048]FIG. 4 shows another illustrative pallet 40 that can beconstructed in accordance with this invention. Pallet 40 supports stator30 by engaging interior surface 31 of central bore 32 of stator 30 oncentral column 41 which extends upwardly from pallet 40. The principlesof moving and transferring stators between machines and stations of amanufacturing line already described in accordance with this inventionare applicable to the pallet of FIG. 4. Because the pallets shown inFIGS. 1 and 4 can be placed on a rail structure in two differentorientations, a pallet according to this invention is preferablystructurally symmetric (i.e., symmetric about the vertical planecontaining the rail structure) to eliminate misorientation of the palletduring placement on the rail structure.

[0049]FIGS. 5 and 6 show how pallets can be transferred between routes(particularly between routes substantially in a horizontal plane) usingan intermediate route that does not include a conveyor belt.

[0050]FIG. 5 shows pallets 54 moving on route 51 in direction 50′,pallets 55 moving on arcuate route 52 in direction 50″, and pallets 56moving on route 53 in direction 50′″. Pallets 54 and 56 move along theirrespective routes by conveyor belts as already described, but pallets 55move along route 52 by pallet pushers 57. As shown in FIG. 5, ends 52′and 52″ of route 52 are alignable with respective ends 51′ and 53′ ofroutes 51 and 53. Pallet pushers 57 can be driven along track 58 in anyconventional way. It will be appreciated that although pallets 54, 55,and 56 (shown on respective routes 51, 52, and 53) do not engage eachother to form queues, such engagement is possible. If a queue is formedon route 52, a single rotating pallet pusher (not shown) could be placedat the upstream end of route 52 to move pallets 55 along route 52.

[0051]FIG. 6 shows pallets 64 moving on route 61 in direction 60′,pallet 65 moving on linear route 62 in direction 60″, and pallets 66moving on route 63 in direction 60′″. Pallets 64 and 66 can be movedalong their respective routes by conveyor belts. Pallet 65 can be movedalong route 62 by rotary pallet pushers 67 and/or linear pallet pushers67′. As shown in FIG. 6, ends 62′ and 62″ of route 62 are alignable withrespective ends 61′ and 63′ of routes 61 and 63. Rotary pallet pushers67 sweep pallets from route 61 to route 62 and from route 62 to route63. Linear pallet pushers 67′ push pallets 65 along on route 62. It willbe appreciated that although the pallets 64, 65, and 66 do not engageeach other on routes 61, 62, and 63, such engagement is possible. Insuch a case, a single rotating pallet pusher at the upstream end ofroute 62 could be sufficient to move a queue of engaging pallets.

[0052] Thus, it can be seen that pallets can be pushed on and off railstructures with one or more pallet pushers.

[0053] In addition to pallet pushers, and as shown in FIG. 1, a palletcan be transferred between different routes or different positions ofthe same route with lifting rods 33 when the pallet has bores 32 adaptedto receive such rods. Lifting rods 33 can also be used to lift a palletoff of a rail structure to an overhead position required by a machine toprocess the component on the pallet. It will be appreciated thatalthough the pallet shown in FIG. 1 only includes single bore 32 forreceiving single lifting rod 33, a pallet can have two or more bores forsynchronously receiving two or more lifting rods. Although mechanicallymore complicated, multiple synchronized lifting rods would increasestability by minimizing the cantilever effect normally present withasymmetric approaches.

[0054]FIG. 7 shows a side elevational view, partly in section, of railstructures 70 and 75. Rail structure 70 includes upper rotatable guidingwheels 71 at both upper corners of structure 70 for guiding belt 72along the upper surface 70′ of structure 70, and lower rotatable guidingwheels 71′ at both lower corners of structure 70 for guiding belt 72along lower surface 70″ of structure 70. Lower guiding wheels 71′ alsoguide belt 72 to drive cartridge 80, which is positioned within railstructure 70. Although rail structure 75 also includes a drivecartridge, the cartridge is not shown to simplify FIG. 7.

[0055]FIG. 8 shows drive cartridge 80, which includes two fixed positionwheels 81 and 82, as well as motor wheel 83 and tension wheel 84, forproviding a compact folded belt path. It will be appreciated that motorwheel 83 is located near the bottom of cartridge 80, which is itselfplaced near the bottom of rail structure 70. In this way, drive shaft 85does not interfere with the lower portions of the inverted “U”structures of pallets (not shown) conveyed along the top of railstructure 70. Drive shaft 85 is powered by motor 88 via gear box 89.Although use of gear box 89 allows for motor 88 to be oriented in anyconvenient way, FIG. 8 shows motor 88 oriented in a substantiallyvertical plane to minimize the horizontal distance X between operator 0and machine M (see FIG. 3).

[0056]FIG. 9 shows an elevational view, in cross-section, of theillustrative drive cartridge shown in FIG. 8. As best seen in FIG. 9,gibs 73 can be provided as means for overcoming looseness of a palletduring loading and/or unloading of a component at a station. Inoperation, gibs 73 provides a fixed surface against which a pallet canbe precisely positioned during component loading and/or unloading. Forexample, as shown in FIG. 2, point P represents the position on route 20where a component supported by a pallet can be loaded and unloaded.Because narrow gaps are normally present between sides 13″ and 15″, andsides 13′″ and 15′″ (see FIG. 1), the lateral position of a pallet atpoint P is not precisely known, which makes automatic loading andunloading more difficult. Accordingly, one of the narrow gaps can beclosed by pressing the pallet against one of gibs 73. Because theprecise position of the gib would be known, the exact position of thepallet, and therefore the component being carried, would also be known.A pallet at point P can be pressed against one of gibs 73 with any typeof actuating device, such as a lateral pusher (not shown).

[0057] The modular nature of the rail structures according to thisinvention allows for rapid configuration and reconfiguration ofmanufacturing lines. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, two or more railstructures, each with its own drive cartridge, can be placed end-to-endto allow the transfer of pallets therebetween— without the need for atransfer station. This is possible because each rail structure hascomplementary end shapes to minimize the gap between them. As shown inFIG. 7, rail structures 70 and 75 have substantially vertical ends. Inthis way, the gap between the two structures can be minimized so that apallet can be easily and directly delivered from one rail structure toanother— without any additional transfer equipment. The modular natureof these rail structures also facilitates vertical stacking, as shown inFIGS. 2 and 3. In any case, whether placed end-to-end or stackedvertically, rail structures with internal drive cartridges according tothis invention provide a flexible solution to the problem of complexmanufacturing lines.

[0058] By using the modular rail structures of this invention as shown,a simplified approach to designing manufacturing lines that requiretransfer between rail structures is provided. For example, in amanufacturing line it may become necessary to transfer pallets from onerail to another. In one conventional approach, pallets are transferredbetween different rail lines by repositioning intermediate sections ofrail. In another case, the rails themselves remain stationary, butinclude branches and transfer stations to select the particular branchthe pallets should follow. Both methods, however, are undesirablebecause movement of primary rail structures and the addition oftransitional rail sections are required; both solutions tend to becomplicated, expensive, and prone to mechanical failure.

[0059] In contrast to these conventional methods, and according toanother aspect of this invention, pallet transfer between primary railstructures is achieved (e.g., with lifting rods, gripping units, etc.)without affecting the rail structure. Thus, a transfer station accordingto this invention can transfer pallets between substantially verticallyoriented rail structures without the use of an intermediate railstructure.

[0060] For example, FIG. 2 shows a front elevational view of a portionof a manufacturing line, including three vertically positioned routes20, 21, and 22. Middle route 21 is the main route and transports palletsto and from the station in downstream direction 21′. Route 22, whichmoves in direction 22′, moves pallets that are empty to the beginning ofthe upstream portion of the line and pallets with unprocessed componentsto route 21. Finally, top route 20 moves pallets in downstream direction20′ and aligns the pallets at the machine where they need to beprocessed. In accordance with this invention, transfer of palletsbetween routes 20, 21, and 22 can be effectuated without an intermediaterail structure using, for example, the transfer equipment shown in FIG.3. With this equipment, a pallet can be transferred between any tworoutes by lifting the pallet to a position above a first rail structure,moving the pallet to a position above the second rail structure, andthen placing the pallet onto the second rail structure. Accordingly,routes 21 and 22 can be made continuous without structuralinterruptions.

[0061] One skilled in the art will appreciate that the present inventioncan be practiced by other than the described embodiments, which arepresented for purposes of illustration and not of limitation, and thepresent invention is limited only by the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:
 1. A pallet for conveying a component on a palletconveyor apparatus, said apparatus having (a) at least one substantiallyhorizontal rail structure having a length, an upper track, and two sidesurfaces, (b) a loop-shaped conveyor belt having an inner belt surfaceand an outer belt surface, said inner belt surface being at leastpartially disposed on said upper track, and a drive for causing saidconveyor belt to move, said pallet comprising: a platform having anupper surface adapted to at least partially support the component; and aseat portion having a substantially inverted “U” shape adapted to engagesaid conveyor belt, said seat portion having a central surface and twoopposing surfaces, said opposing surfaces having a first height andbeing separated by a first width, said side surfaces having a secondheight and being separated by a second width, wherein said first widthis larger than said second width so that said rail structure can fitbetween said opposing surfaces with gaps between said opposing surfacesand said side surfaces, wherein said first and second heights inconjunction with the gaps are sufficient to prevent a pallet fromfalling off said rail structure, and wherein said outer belt surfaceengages said central surface.
 2. The pallet of claim 1 wherein saidupper surface of said platform is adapted to support an armature havinga lamination stack and at least one shaft, said upper surfacecomprising: a lamination stack supporting surface; and at least oneshaft supporting surface.
 3. The pallet of claim 2 wherein said uppersurface of said platform is adapted to support said armature in asubstantially horizontal position when supported by said pallet, andwherein said supporting surfaces extend sufficiently to supportdifferent size armatures.
 4. The pallet of claim 1 wherein said platformfurther comprises at least one side wall for preventing said componentfrom falling off said platform.
 5. A pallet for conveying a component ona pallet conveyor apparatus, said apparatus having (a) at least onesubstantially horizontal rail structure having a length, an upper track,and two side surfaces, (b) a loop-shaped conveyor belt having an innerbelt surface and an outer belt surface, said inner belt surface being atleast partially disposed on said upper track, and a drive for causingsaid conveyor belt to move, said pallet comprising: a platform having anupper surface adapted to at least partially support the component, saidplatform further comprising at least one side wall for preventing saidcomponent from falling off said platform, said at least one side wallhaving an aperture for providing a gripping unit access to saidcomponent when said component is supported by said platform; and a seatportion having a substantially inverted “U” shape adapted to engage saidconveyor belt, said seat portion having a central surface and twoopposing surfaces, said opposing surfaces having a first height andbeing separated by a first width, said side surfaces having a secondheight and being separated by a second width, wherein said first widthis larger than said second width so that said rail structure can fitbetween said opposing surfaces with gaps between said opposing surfacesand said side surfaces, wherein said first and second heights inconjunction with the gaps are sufficient to prevent a pallet fromfalling off said rail structure, and wherein said outer belt surfaceengages said central surface.
 6. The pallet of claim 1 wherein saidupper surface of said platform is adapted to support a stator.
 7. Thepallet of claim 1 wherein said central surface and said belt outersurface have a frictional coefficient formed therebetween that issufficiently large to ensure that said pallet is conveyed synchronouslywith said conveyor belt when said conveyor belt moves.
 8. The pallet ofclaim 1 wherein said two opposing surfaces are substantially vertical.9. The pallet of claim 8 wherein said central surface is substantiallyhorizontal.
 10. The pallet of claim 1 wherein said pallet is adapted tofit on said rail structure when said pallet is in at least a firstorientation and a second orientation, said second orientation being 180°rotated from said first orientation.
 11. A pallet for conveying acomponent on a pallet conveyor apparatus, said apparatus having (a) atleast one substantially horizontal rail structure having a length, anupper track, and two side surfaces, (b) a loop-shaped conveyor belthaving an inner belt surface and an outer belt surface, said inner beltsurface being at least partially disposed on said upper track, and adrive for causing said conveyor belt to move, said pallet comprising: aplatform having an upper surface adapted to at least partially supportthe component; and a seat portion having a substantially inverted “U”shape adapted to engage said conveyor belt, said seat portion having acentral surface and two opposing surfaces, said opposing surfaces havinga first height and being separated by a first width, said side surfaceshaving a second height and being separated by a second width, whereinsaid first width is larger than said second width so that said railstructure can fit between said opposing surfaces with gaps between saidopposing surfaces and said side surfaces, wherein said first and secondheights in conjunction with the gaps are sufficient to prevent a palletfrom falling off said rail structure, and wherein said outer beltsurface engages said central surface; said pallet adapted to fit on saidrail structure when said pallet is in at least a first orientation and asecond orientation, said second orientation being 180° rotated from saidfirst orientation; said pallet further comprising a pin attached theretoso that a pin reader can detect said pin when said pallet is in one ofsaid orientations.
 12. The pallet of claim 1 wherein said pallet has aforward face and a rear face for engaging other pallets in a queueformed along said length of said at least one substantially horizontalrail structure.
 13. The pallet of claim 12 wherein said forward and rearfaces are sufficiently high to ensure sufficient engagement betweenadjacent pallets in said queue and to avoid an upstream pallet to climbover an adjacent downstream pallet.
 14. A pallet for conveying acomponent on a pallet conveyor apparatus, said apparatus having (a) atleast one substantially horizontal rail structure having a length, anupper track, and two side surfaces, (b) a loop-shaped conveyor belthaving an inner belt surface and an outer belt surface, said inner beltsurface being at least partially disposed on said upper track, and adrive for causing said conveyor belt to move, said pallet comprising: aplatform having an upper surface adapted to at least partially supportthe component; a seat portion having a substantially inverted “U” shapeadapted to engage said conveyor belt, said seat portion having a centralsurface and two opposing surfaces, said opposing surfaces having a firstheight and being separated by a first width, said side surfaces having asecond height and being separated by a second width, wherein said firstwidth is larger than said second width so that said rail structure canfit between said opposing surfaces with gaps between said opposingsurfaces and said side surfaces, wherein said first and second heightsin conjunction with the gaps are sufficient to prevent a pallet fromfalling off said rail structure, and wherein said outer belt surfaceengages said central surface; and at least one bore adapted to receive alifting rod for moving said pallet from a first position to a secondposition.